OLYMPIC RUNNER is quickly becoming a favourite at Woodbine as the five-year-old gelding is a hard-trying stretch runner who has been close to winning graded stakes on turf and Tapeta at Woodbine and in Florida in the last couple of seasons. The almost jet-black son of Gio Ponti-Nadadora by Carson City got his gold medal on August 15 when he romped to victory in the Grade 2 King Edward Stakes in course record time for one mile on turf.
Trained by Mark Casse and owned by Gary Barber, Olympic Runner arrived at the $183,750 King Edward, for three-year-olds and up, off a neck loss in the Grade 2 Connaught Cup on July 18 at Woodbine. He was beaten a neck in the Grade 3 Canadian Turf at Gulfstream this winter and a neck in the Grade 3 Bold Venture to Pink Lloyd last summer.
Rafael Hernandez quickly guided the Kentucky-bred (Eutrophia Farm Ltd.) to the rail and into a comfortable spot behind the early leaders, including pacesetter Town Cruise, who led Gray’s Fable by 1 ½-lengths through an opening quarter-mile timed in :23.33.
Town Cruise, owned and trained by Brandon Greer, was still on top through a half-mile in :45.75, with Olympic Runner still nestled along the inside in fifth. Late-running March to the Arch, last year’s champion, and also a Casse trainee, remained in eighth.
Around the turn for home Town Cruise, under Daisuke Fukumoto, began to increase his advantage, while Hernandez called upon Olympic Runner, who now had a clear path, for his best run.
At the wire, Olympic Runner was a 1 ¼-length winner, while Town Cruise fought on gamely to secure second spot, a head in front of a hard-charging 7-5 choice March to the Arch.
The final time over firm going on the E.P. Taylor was a course record 1:31.73.
“It was a good trip,” offered Hernandez. “The main thing was to get a clear trip. He showed up today. Last time, it was a hard trip. There was nowhere to go. In the final sixteenth, we found room to go, and it was too late. We got a long stretch and it helped a lot [today].”
Olympic Runner, whose only other stakes score came in the 2019 running of the main track King Corrie, at Woodbine, earned his fifth career victory in his 23rd start.
“You don’t overthink it,” said Hernandez. “You ride the wave – break out of there, try and get the best position for the horse, and then give the best trip you can. He’s got a big heart. He turned for home and he kept trying and trying. He never gave up.”
Sent off at 7-1, Olympic Runner paid $16.80 for the win. Barber bought Olympic Runner for $180,000 as a yearling at the 2017 Keeneland September yearling sale. He is the fourth foal of his winning mare.
For Town Cruise, it was a $42,000 payday for his first stakes placing in his first stakes attempt. The Ontario sired and bred son of Town Prize had won both of his grass races this year for Greer, who also bred the six-year-old with Terry Greer.
More Sunday
MISS SPEEDY is an exciting filly who remained undefeated with his second win in as many starts in a 1 1/16 miles allowance/optional claiming race. The Souper Speedy – Miss Dorothy, by Stormin Fever sophomore had won her career debut so impressively on July 10, coming from far back in a 5 1/2 furlong sprint to win with a 75 Beyer Figure. Owners Ryan and Barry Kerbel sold a share in the filly to Gary Barber and she was transferred from trainer Denyse McClachrie to Mark Casse. On Sunday the sizeable dark bay led all the way to win by four lengths in the fast time of 1:43.41.
A $52,000 CTHS Ontario yearling purchase by the Kerbels in 2019 from breeder Linda Mason and consignor Sue Foreman, Miss Speedy could make her next start in the Bison City Stakes in 13 days.
There is a full brother to Miss Speedy in the Sept. 1 Canadian Premier Yearling sale, hip no. 14.
Trainer Toy Gattellaro picked up his first win of the season when sending out SEND THE WORD, owned and bred by Gerry Bibbs, to win a maiden allowance at six furlongs in 1:10.74 with a brazen speed approach. Racing as a gelding for this second race and adding Lasix, the Kentucky-bred by Paynter was ridden by Sahin Civaci and was the longest shot in the race at 28-to-1.
Race 6 for two-year-olds had three youngsters with racing experience against eight first-time starters and the experienced ones finished first, second and third. HEAT MERCHANT, a grey son of Kobe’s Back (Flatter) won for Mary Biamonte and trainer Ralph Biamonte. A $4,500 Keeneland September purchase, Heat Merchant was ridden by Gary Boulanger.
Cary and Philip Brooks won their first race of the meeting when LONG POND won a maiden optional in race 7 under jockey Kazushi Kimura, who had his second straight three-win day. Long Pond was a $3,500 Fasig Tipton October yearling and he is an Ontario-bred by Noth Bourson bred by Charles Fipke.
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